PMD2: Explorers of Fate: A Frozen Heart's Love
by animatedrose
Summary: An AU story for YuseiDarkUmbreon's poll on DA. What if when Team Legend saved Snowflake in Serenity River, she fell in love with Lucar? What if Lucar liked her back? A story about a love between enemies and their struggle to remain together.
1. Prologue

PMD2: Explorers of Fate

A Frozen Heart's Love

Prologue

The moon shone brightly overhead, illuminating the sea as it lapped at the sandy beach. Sitting in the sand, letting the salt water wash over her paws over and over, was a light blue fox.

She had a blue Sherpa cap-like growth on her head, two green-blue diamond-shaped spots on her back, green-blue paws, ear insides, and tail tip. The tips of the Sherpa cap with green-blue as well. Her green-blue eyes glimmered in the moonlight. She was a Glaceon.

She just sat there, letting the ocean waves lap at her paws. She listened to the sound of the Kricketune doing their evening choir.

Another sound caught her attention. The sound of paws crunching through sand. A large figure slowly made its way toward her. Her fur bristled at first, the sharp frozen quills that made up her fur rising as a visible threat to the intruder.

Then a scent hit her nose and the quills lowered. The Glaceon relaxed, a small smile crossing her face as the figure reached her. He sat down beside her, shivering slightly as the cold water ran over his paws.

"Nice night," he said.

"Yes," she nodded. Then she turned to look at her companion. "It's a shame you can't see how truly beautiful it is…Lucar."

The Lucario chuckled. "I can see the aura that the stars and moon create. Even if I couldn't see that, I'd still be seeing the aura of the most beautiful Pokemon I've ever met. Can you guess who that would be?"

"Perhaps," the Glaceon said, smiling sneakily.

"That Pokemon…would be you, Snowflake." Lucar said, resting a spiked paw over one of her forepaws.

"Are you certain?" Snowflake challenged playfully. "What of that lovely Lucario, Laurel? She's been eyeing you ever since she joined the team."

Lucar ran one paw along the Glaceon's cheek. "I'm certain, Snowflake. _No one_ can possibly compare to you in beauty. Even a blind Pokemon like me can see that."

"You're too sweet," Snowflake said, nuzzling her lover's cheek affectionately. "However did I fall in love with you?"

"Love at first sight?" Lucar joked.

"Hilarious," Snowflake said, looking back at the moonlit sea.

Giggling caught the pair's attention. Lucar and Snowflake looked over their shoulders to see a trio of Eevee rolling around in the sand. Two of them wrestled, kicking up sand and tackling one another playfully, while the third bounded after them, giggling. Snowflake smiled at them.

Lucar cupped his paws around his mouth and called to them. "Chander! Nila! Iris! Come here!"

"Coming, papa!" one of the wrestling Eevee, the one on top, cried.

"Wait up, Chander!" the Eevee that was on bottom of the wrestling pair cried, rolling over and dashing after his brother.

"Wait for me!" the bystander Eevee wailed, chasing after her two brothers.

Lucar laughed, nearly falling over as his two sons tackling him. Snowflake happily nuzzled her only daughter. Once the trio of children settled, the smaller male Eevee piped up. "Mama? Papa?"

"Yes, Nila?" Snowflake said, looking over at her younger son.

"How did you two meet?" Nila asked.

"Mama already told us this story!" the older male Eevee, Chander, pointed out.

"But it's a good story!" Nila argued.

"Not if you hear it a million times!" Chander said.

"Knock it off, you two," Lucar said, patting his two sons on the head to calm them.

"I want to hear it again. Please, mama!" the girl Eevee, Iris, pleaded.

Lucar and Snowflake looked at one another and laughed. "Alright," Snowflake said, giving in.

"Don't we tell it every night?" Lucar wondered.

"Oh, hush!" Snowflake said, kissing the Lucario to silence him.

"Ew! Cooties!" Chander cried, ducking further down into his father's lap.

"There's no such thing as cooties," Nila argued.

"Well, let's test that theory!" Lucar laughed.

He quickly scooped up his sons and kissed them both on the cheek. Almost instantly, the pair struggled and shouted for help. Snowflake laughed when Nila cried for her to save them from the cooties. Lucar laughed again before letting his sons down, allowing them to wipe their soaked paws over their faces to rid themselves of the cooties their father had given them.

"Calm down! I was kidding!" Lucar chuckled.

Nila and Chander reluctantly clambered back onto the Lucario's lap, grumbling about how they now had cooties. Snowflake smiled, nuzzling Iris affectionately.

"So, where to start?" the Glaceon asked, looking at her lover.

"How about when we first met?" Lucar suggested.

"Alright," Snowflake nodded. "It all started in the mystery dungeon called Serenity River…"


	2. Chapter 1: The Serenity River Incident

Chapter 1: The Serenity River Incident

"Okay, here's the plan. Raptor and I scour the mystery dungeon first to see if that Piplup is in there. If she is, you'll get the sack and pretend you've been kidnapped by someone. When that Piplup comes to free you, we'll catch her."

Snowflake listened intently to Thrax's plan. They were attempting capture a strange Piplup that knew Earthquake, a technique it shouldn't know. Thrax's plan seemed good enough to catch the little Water-type but there were still a few things that bugged her.

"What if somebody else finds me instead of the Piplup?" Snowflake asked.

"We fight them," Thrax replied. "Relax, baby. Everything will be fine."

"And what about that Exploration team you've been telling me about?" the Glaceon questioned. "Team Legend, right? You say they've appeared where you are quite a few times in the past. What if know is one of those times?"

"Come on, Snowflake? What are the chances that that's going to happen?" Raptor asked.

"At this rate, quite a big chance," Snowflake said coldly.

The Staraptor whimpered, backing away fearfully. He respected the Glaceon a lot and the last thing he wanted was to get her mad. He didn't want to become a frozen bird-cicle.

"What are you suggesting, baby?" Thrax asked.

"I'm saying we should have a plan in case they show up." Snowflake said simply, turning to look at her Toxicroak leader. "We've been caught off guard too much by those kids. Our reputation could be ruined if we're not careful."

Thrax tapped his chin, thinking. Then a big grin spread across his face. "Okay, how does this sound? If that Exploration Team shows up, you let them rescue you and take you back to Treasure Town with them."

"What?" Snowflake yelped. "Why?"

"Think about it, baby," Thrax said. "I want the Eevee that's on that Exploration Team. If you're in Treasure Town, you could lure her away from her little friends and catch her."

"What about the Riolu, boss?" Raptor suddenly piped up. "He can see aura. Won't he know if Snowflake's up to something bad?"

"I'm sure Snowflake can deal with him," Thrax shrugged. "Right, baby?"

"…Of course," the Glaceon nodded.

"Perfect! We leave now!" Thrax declared.

_/I had no idea what I was about to get into. I thought it was going to be another routine kidnapping, maybe even two if Team Legend appeared. Unfortunately, nothing was going to go as planned. When do things ever go as planned?/_

_In the Serenity River…_

"Okay, let's make this fast and get to the seventh floor. That's where the Piplup's been seen." Thrax said.

"Right!" Raptor and Snowflake cried.

"Yes, sir," the black Pikachu said.

"Good! Then let's move!" Thrax barked.

The Toxicroak turned his back on his minions and entered the mystery dungeon. Raptor quickly followed. Snowflake and the black Pikachu entered at the same time. The Glaceon sent a sideways glance at the black Pikachu.

_Ever since he evolved, he's been almost completely silent,_ she noted. _Thrax did a good job of training him. I just hope he didn't hurt the kid too badly before his evolution. He doesn't have any scars from what I can see._

The black Pikachu turned to look at her, noticing her staring. "Is something wrong?" he asked. His voice sounded hollow, almost unfeeling.

"Nothing," Snowflake said coldly, trotting further ahead. She almost felt bad for the kid.

On the first floor, they went through a large amount of corridors without encountering any enemies. They eventually entered a room with a Blast Seed, an Apple, and a Pecha Berry in it. The stairs were also in that room. Snowflake picked up the items and followed her fellow criminals down to the next floor.

On the second floor, they went through a few corridors without being seen by enemies. Raptor, of course, found this funny.

"Hah! They must be too scared to come out, eh, boss?" the Staraptor laughed. "They all probably ran away! Hah!"

Almost immediately, a Wooper jumped out at them.

"You were saying?" Snowflake said, glaring at Raptor.

"Um…" Raptor backed off. "Sorry…?"

_/Sometimes I wonder why Thrax keeps Raptor around. He's an idiot, he practically worships Thrax, and he can be such a kid at times. The only thing he's good for is taking down weak Fighting-types and using Fly to transport us to different locations. Other than that, he seems pretty useless./_

Thrax easily defeated it with Poison Jab. A Poliwag and a Lotad jumped them in the next room. They were also easily dealt with by Thrax. The next room held a sleeping Wooper. Snowflake quickly scooped up the 24 poke and the Blast Seed. The black Pikachu ended up waking the Wooper up and nearly getting knocked out. Luckily, Thrax rescued him with a well-aimed Poison Jab to the Wooper's chest. They ran down the stairs in the next room.

On the third floor, they ended up in a room with a Kecleon Market. Picking up the 4 Sticks and the Escape Orb outside of the red and gold Kecleon Market mat, they headed down a few halls and encountered a Barboach. Thrax defeated it easily. They went through a few more empty rooms, barely escaping the sight of a second Barboach, and discovered a Rollcall Orb in the next room. The room below that one had a Heal Seed in it that Snowflake picked up. A Wooper and a Barboach blocked them as they were leaving the room. Thrax knocked them out with two swipes of his glowing hand-claw.

"Thrax, you don't have to do all of the fighting." Snowflake commented.

"I'm the strongest out of all of us, baby. I need you guys a full strength to take down that Piplup." Thrax argued. "Just keep the kid out of trouble, baby. I don't want to have to save his tail again."

"Alright," the Glaceon muttered, giving up. _Thrax is so stubborn,_ she thought.

As they headed to the next room, they barely escaped from a Poliwag and a Lotad coming from the adjoining rooms. A second Lotad ended up jumping them anyway. Thrax knocked it out instantly. The next room allowed them to head downstairs via the stairs.

On the fourth floor, they were lucky enough to be in the same room as the stairs. They went down them as quickly as they could.

On the fifth floor, a Wooper and a sleeping Barboach were in the room they appeared in. Thrax took out the Wooper and stealthily snuck past the snoozing Barboach. In the next room, Snowflake picked up an Oran Berry. The next room after that had a Cleanse Orb, 20 poke, and the stairs to the next room.

On the sixth floor, a thick fog cut their vision in half. Going down a few corridors, Snowflake picked up an Oran Berry and a Cheri Berry. A Barboach snuck up from behind her but Thrax defeated it before it could do anything.

"Thanks," Snowflake said, dropping the berries into the bag she carried.

"Just watch your back, baby," Thrax reminded before walking away.

_/Thrax doesn't act nice toward us. At least, he doesn't call it 'nice'. He keeps us out of trouble because he needs us to do some of the dirty work for him. He keeps us safe so we won't slow him down. He does what he needs to in order to keep his title as a member of the Big Five criminals. I know he has a heart somewhere. I just doesn't use it much./_

They went through a few more corridors before a Masquerain attacked them with Ominous Wind. Thrax cut it down easily, annoyed that it actually hurt them. In the next room, Snowflake picked up a Rollcall Orb and Thrax easily defeated an attacking Lotad. They found the stairs in the next room and went down them eagerly.

"Here we are! The seventh floor," Thrax said. "Let's scan the place for the Piplup and then set up the trap."

"Right!" Raptor and Snowflake cried.

"Yes, sir," the black Pikachu said.

"Good! Let's get moving!" Thrax shouted.

On the seventh floor, Thrax easily took out a Wooper and a Barboach that attempted to attack them. Snowflake went around and picked up an Oran Berry, 20 poke, and a Rebound Orb. They went through a few empty halls and rooms before encountering a Poliwag. Thrax knocked it out with ease. They managed to run away from a Wooper successfully. They soon found themselves back in the room they started in.

"I didn't see any sign of her, boss." Raptor said. "What if you were wrong?"

"I'm not wrong!" Thrax growled. "She's here, I know she is! I can feel it in my bones!"

"I can smell her," Snowflake suddenly said. "She's not far away. She must've just arrived on the floor. She was tailing us instead of the other way around, Thrax."

"Either way, she's here." Thrax grumbled. "Raptor, get the sack."

"Right, boss!" Raptor dug through the Glaceon's bag and pulled out a brown sack. "Got it!"

"Good," Thrax nodded. "Snowflake, get in it."

Snowflake glared down at the water that covered every inch of every floor in Serenity River. She was going to be soaked. She reluctantly crawling into the sack, wincing as the cold water made contact with her skin. The sack was soon closed, trapping her inside.

"We'll be back soon, baby," Thrax said.

The sound of splashing footsteps signaled her companions' departure. Now she would have to endure the cold water creeping through her short fur and chilling her to the bone. She could easily handle snow and ice. Cold water was another thing entirely.

_I hope that Piplup gets here soon,_ she prayed.

It felt like an eternity before she heard noises in the room. Pressing her ear to the sack wall, she recognized the sounds of a fight. That Exploration Team must've come after all. That meant the Piplup wasn't going to free her, leaving her stuck in the sack until the fight was over.

_What are you doing, idiot? Do what Thrax said! Act like you were kidnapped!_ Snowflake mentally screamed.

"Help! Oh, please, somebody help me!" Snowflake called, putting on the most pitiful voice she could.

After a while of getting no reply to her calls, she noticed the sack beginning to sink in the cold water. It was getting heavier. "Oh, Arceus, no," she whispered. "Help! Thrax! Help!"

No reply. Thrax was probably too busy fighting to help her.

Her head tipped forward, only to have water shoot up her nose. Snowflake gagged, shoving her head up against the heavy material of the sinking sack. "Help… Please, help… Anyone…" she called weakly. _I can't die like this! Thrax, help! Anyone…_

_/I thought that was the end. Thrax wasn't coming to help me. The Piplup wasn't there to save me like she was supposed to. I was all-too-certain that I was dead. But I was wrong. Oh, so very wrong. I wasn't going to die. But I was going to encounter something I had never experienced before./_

Outside of the sack, the fight between Thrax's group and Team Legend raged. One particular member of Team Legend, Lucar the blind Riolu, was in a fight against Raptor. He was at a horrible disadvantage, yet the Riolu carried on.

"Whirlwind!" Raptor cried, beating his wings furiously.

"AAAH!" Lucar screamed, crashing into the wall behind him.

Raptor laughed before turning his attention to another battle, abandoning the beaten Riolu. Lucar just lay there, winded. His entire body was in pain from the attack.

Then he noticed something he hadn't seen before. On the very edge of his aura vision, nearly hidden from his sight, was a weak aura. And it was getting weaker with every passing moment.

_Could it be someone that Thrax kidnapped before coming here?_ Lucar wondered. _Whoever it is…I've got to save them!_

Lucar struggled to his feet. Quickly checking to see if Raptor was around and sighing in relief upon discovering he was helping Thrax against Carlos, Lucar staggered toward the sack. Reaching it, he knelt down and fought to untie it.

"Don't worry. You're safe now," he said, trying to reassure the poor Pokemon trapped within the bag. "I'll have you out in a second."

**/I had no idea what I was truly doing. I was letting loose one of our enemies. I was falling right into the trap Thrax had set up. I wouldn't know this for a while still. But I know one thing. I was about to encounter something I had never experienced before./**

Snowflake gasped for breath, the coldness seeping into her fur. She was starting to feel numb. It frightened her. The cold was supposed to be her element. Why was it working against her?

A small point of light shone in the corner of her vision. She squinted at it. _Could this be…death?_

The light grew larger until it engulfed her. She blinked, rubbing her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw green reed walls to her sides and blue water below her. It took her a moment to recognize them. It took even longer for her numb mind to remember where she was.

_Serenity River,_ she thought. _Thrax brought us here to…to catch that Piplup. The Piplup… Did she set me free?_

"Hey, are you okay?" a voice asked.

_That's…a boy's voice,_ she realized. _Thrax said the Piplup was a girl. Then who is…?_

She looked up at her savior just as Lucar's aura vision finally returned to normal after taking Raptor's Whirlwind. Their gazes locked and instantly, their hearts skipped a beat.

_**/We found love./**_


	3. Chapter 2: A Plan in Motion

Chapter 2: A Plan in Motion

Snowflake sighed in relief as they arrived on the eighth floor of Serenity River. Not only was she cold from being stuck in that waterlogged sack but she was tired from fighting against both Raptor and Thrax. She hadn't really hurt them, of course, but she made it look convincing enough.

The Nincada that Team Legend was apparently escorting through the mystery dungeon left, saying something about rewarding them in Treasure Town. She didn't really listen. She was too focused on Lucar, the blind Riolu of Team Legend.

_If he hadn't let me out of the sack when he did, I'd probably have drowned,_ she thought. _Stupid Thrax! Didn't he think about what could happen to me if a huge fight like that broke out? Ugh…_

"We still didn't find out anything about David," Sandra whimpered.

Snowflake looked away, pretending she wasn't listening to them. _They're still looking for that Pichu? What's the point? He's long gone now,_ she thought.

"Next time we see Thrax, we'll definitely find out what he did to David. I know we will." Lucar said.

_Not likely,_ Snowflake thought.

"We should probably get back to Treasure Town now," Carlos commented. "You two can go home then."

Thrax's words echoed in Snowflake's mind. _"If that Exploration Team shows up, you let them rescue you and take you back to Treasure Town with them."_

A quick story appeared in her mind. "I'm a wanderer, actually," the Glaceon said. "That Treasure Town place sounds nice. I'd like to visit there, maybe even stay a while. Thank you for rescuing me."

"No problem, Snowflake! Anytime!" Carlos smiled.

Snowflake had to repress a smirk. _Stupid sap,_ she thought. _These guys actually threaten to ruin our reputation? No way! These guys are just too easy to trick._

Snowflake suddenly paid attention when the Piplup, apparently named Luv, explained why she was in Serenity River. She then told them about her being orphaned by a Feraligatr that ate her brother. She didn't exactly say what happened to her parents, only that they were dead. When she started to cry, Sandra dashed over and hugged her. The Glaceon could hardly bare to watch the scene.

_/I hate to say this, but I don't like sob stories. I wonder if Thrax knows this. He always seems to go after kids with tragic pasts or something to be his cronies. First Raptor after he was blown out his nest as a Starly on Mt. Bristle some two or three years ago. Then me right after I evolved and had my heart broken by this…this stupid…stupid… You know what? Never mind. Then those Umbreon friends after their families were destroyed by Thrax. Then that black Pikachu. I don't know much about him but he apparently got lost on purpose to try and join an Exploration Team, only to get caught by Raptor. And now he wants this orphaned Piplup and this Eevee that just lost her sister mysteriously. Does Thrax have some kind of pattern set up here? Honestly, does he?/_

After all the sobbing and crying ended, Carlos finally lifted his Exploration Team Badge and teleported them to Treasure Town. Snowflake didn't have time to even scream when she ended up being at the middle of a pile inside of Wigglytuff's Guild. All she knew was that someone was on her tail and it was painful.

"Whoever is on my tail, get off!" she cried. _Screw acting nice! Nobody sits on my tail and gets away with it!_

"Sorry, um…Snowflake, is it?"

The Glaceon froze. The weight lifted off of her tail, allowing her to leap out of the pile. She turned to see Lucar standing nearby. The Riolu approached her, looking apologetic.

"Sorry," he said. "That was me…on your tail, I mean."

"It's…okay," Snowflake shrugged. "It doesn't hurt much."

"I'm glad," Lucar nodded. "That your tail doesn't hurt, I mean!"

"I know," Snowflake said. _Okay, maybe I'll let it slip this time. But just this once!_

Chatot and Wigglytuff came out to hear how Team Legend's mission went. When Carlos explained Luv's past, Wigglytuff ended up hugging Chatot and crying. Then the Nincada rewarded Team Legend for taking him on 'an awesome exploration'. Snowflake was shocked when the Chatot stole a majority of the money the Nincada gave them but bit back a protest. That was how Exploration Guilds worked, after all.

When it was her turn to reward Team Legend, she dug through her bag until she pulled out a Blue Bow. It was just a random item she had come across during a mission. She just wished that it was more of an ice-blue color rather than a dark blue color. She had no use for it, so she handed it over to Team Legend as a reward.

"Well, I'm off to explore Treasure Town. Thanks for bringing me here!" The Glaceon turned and climbed up the ladder, leaving Wigglytuff's Guild.

As Luv asked Team Legend to let her join their Exploration Team, Lucar glanced back at where he estimated the ladder to be. _What was that feeling I had back at Serenity River?_ he wondered.

"I'm going to go for a walk, guys," he said.

"Are you sure? Don't you want to help show Luv our other teammates?" Carlos asked.

"I do but…" Lucar sighed. "I want to get some fresh air. Sorry."

"That's okay, Lucar. Come back when you're feeling better, okay?" Carlos said, smiling.

"Okay," the Riolu nodded.

**/Carlos is a pretty understanding guy. Is it because he was once human? Maybe… I'm just glad he let me go when he did. If he hadn't, maybe things would've been different between Snowflake and I./**

He turned and dashed toward the ladder, feeling along the wall in front of him until he found it. Climbing up them, he left Wigglytuff's Guild and ran down the stairs. He stretched his aura vision as far as it would go, searching for the aura of the only Glaceon in Treasure Town.

_On the outskirts of Treasure Town…_

Snowflake searched through the surrounding bushes, hunting for the scent of her boss and co-workers. It didn't take long to locate them. Thrax smirked upon seeing her, only to frown slightly when he noticed she was alone.

"The Piplup joined them," Snowflake said shortly.

"Is that good…or bad?" Raptor asked.

"Good since I can easily get both the Piplup and the Eevee from them. They'll be in the same place, at least." Snowflake said.

"So, you couldn't get either of them at the moment, baby?" Thrax asked.

"It's not as easy as it looks, Thrax," the Glaceon said, eyes narrowing slightly. "The Eevee is always with that Pikachu, or has been so far. The Piplup is sticking close to them at the moment, too. I'll have to wait a few days until the Piplup relaxes enough to try wandering around town on her own."

"And the Eevee?" Thrax inquired.

"She seems trusting enough, so I'll just use that against her." Snowflake said with a smile. "Act like a friend, gain her trust, and lead her away from her friends for a while."

"Just long enough for us to catch her," Thrax finished.

"Correct," Snowflake nodded. "It'll take time but it should work. I just have to lay low and act like a cheery idiot for a few days. They haven't even begun to suspect I'm nothing more than a wanderer. They were so easy to trick."

"Just watch your back, baby," Thrax warned. "The Riolu of theirs isn't as easy to trick. That aura vision of his is sharp. He probably would've caught me in Serenity River if the fog hadn't kept me hidden."

"I know," Snowflake said. "Speaking of Serenity River, thank you _so very much_ for saving me from almost drowning in that sack,"

"Drowning? You nearly drowned?" Raptor yelped. "I didn't know that!"

"How?" Thrax growled.

"Don't you know that, if thoroughly wet, heavy fabrics collapse in on themselves?" Snowflake asked. "The sack ended up being completely soaked, probably by your fighting, and started to sink on me. If that Exploration Team's Riolu hadn't freed me, I'd probably be dead."

"Oh, man, that wasn't part of the plan!" Raptor cried. "Boss, did you know that would happen? 'Cause I know I didn't!"

"No," Thrax growled. "I _didn't_ know that could happen. Maybe Snowflake could've told us about that beforehand, baby."

"Well, I didn't expect to be in that sack for as long as I was," the Glaceon countered. "I called for you, Thrax. Didn't you hear me?"

"No, I didn't," the Toxicroak said coldly. "Couldn't you free yourself, baby?"

Snowflake backed up a step, sensing a dangerous edge being added to Thrax's words. _Be careful, Snowflake,_ she thought. _Pick your words wisely. You've avoided being hit with Poison Jab so far. Don't let it happen now._ "N-N-No,"

Raptor seemed to notice the tension, too, and quickly broke it. "Hey, boss, maybe Snowflake should get back to Treasure Town now! You know, before someone notices she's gone! Wouldn't want her cover blown now, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Snowflake nodded.

_/Raptor may be a complete moron at times but he's good for some things. Breaking tension and turning Thrax's attention away from turning violent are just a few of the things he does. I'm grateful for him doing that. Just don't tell him I ever said that. That Staraptor already has a big ego. No need to make it bigger./_

Thrax sighed and took a deep breath, letting the air out between gritted teeth. "Fine," he said. "Go,"

Snowflake quickly turned and ran like a pack of Houndoom was chasing her. She had never been so close to having Thrax snap at her than she had just then. She'd have to remind herself to find some shiny object, maybe some random Wonder Orb if she found any, to give to Raptor later.

_/I had never once been hit by Thrax's Poison Jab. Not even once. As far as I know, Thrax has never physically punished me before. I'm his little strategist. He gives me a plan outline, a basic idea of what he needs or wants in a plan. It's my job to come up with all the little details in between and picture scenarios where the plan could backfire. If Thrax doesn't like what I say, either Raptor distracts him or I appease to him and run when given the chance. Call me a coward but, from what Raptor has told me, Poison Jab hurts. I'll avoid it, thank you./_

The Glaceon didn't stop running until she reached the beach. Collapsing on the sand, she gasped for breath before forcing herself to sit up. She looked up to see the sun beginning to set. The Krabby began to blow bubbles, which turned into a rainbow of color as they passed in front of the setting sun.

"Beautiful," she whispered.

"Sandra says that, too,"

She nearly jumped six feet in the air from fright. Whipping around, she glared at the Pokemon that dared to sneak up on her when she was finally beginning to relax after escaping from a near-violent Thrax. Her glare slowly softened upon realizing who it was.

Lucar the blind Riolu approached her until he was standing beside her. "Mind if I sit here?" he asked.

"Sure," Snowflake nodded, heat rising to her cheeks. _Wait a sec! Am I…? No! It can't be! He's the enemy! I can't! No! No! No!_

"Uh… Snowflake, are you okay?" Lucar asked. "Your aura's panicked."

_Of course I'm not okay!_ Snowflake almost screamed. "I'm fine," she said instead. "I just remembered that I had to do something."

"Like what?" Lucar asked.

"Um… I…. Um…" Snowflake couldn't believe this. She couldn't come up with a good excuse! That had never happened to her before. "Um…"

"Snowflake?" Lucar said questioning, looking at the Glaceon. _Her aura's getting even more panicked. Is she okay?_

"Um… I—WAAAH! What are you doing?" Snowflake yelped.

Lucar had moved closer to her until he had reached out his paws, touching the Ice-type's cheeks. Snowflake felt her faint blush intensify, turning her cheeks bright red. She was mentally screaming at herself to run as far as away as she could from him yet her body was frozen. One of his paws migrated to her forehead, only to return to her cheek again.

"You're really warm, Snowflake," he noted.

She blushed even more. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! He's the enemy! You can't like an enemy like this! No! What would Thrax think? Heck, Raptor would be laughing right now! Just get up and run! Run!_

"Snowflake, you're really hot!" Lucar suddenly said.

Snowflake blushed even more now. _He…called me hot…_

"Snowflake, you're burning up!" Lucar suddenly cried.

**/Because I'm blind, I can't really tell the different between a heavy blush and a fever. I didn't really know which one Snowflake had at that moment. Maybe it was both. Or…maybe I hoped it was both./**

The Glaceon was beginning to feel a bit woozy. Her head felt like it was being stuffed with cotton. Suddenly, her nose started itching. Then…she sneezed.

"Whoa!" Lucar jumped back as a bit of sand was thrown up in front of the Glaceon. "Snowflake, you're sick! It must've been the cold water at Serenity River. Come on! I've got to get you back to Wigglytuff's Guild for treatment."

_That's it,_ Snowflake thought, smiling as the blind Riolu pulled her after him. _I don't like him after all. It was just a cold. Thank Arceus…_

As the two of them walked through Treasure Town on their way to Wigglytuff's Guild, they never noticed a pair of eyes watching them. An Umbreon was perched on a large rock at the beach, watching as his co-worker left with one of the Exploration Team members Thrax had told him about.

He had been initially suspicious of them up until Snowflake sneezed. His suspicions of her were suppressed…for now, at least. _I could've sworn…_

He turned and bounded off the rock, running from the beach and away from Treasure Town. He'd have to tell Thrax about Snowflake being sick. Thrax wouldn't be pleased about that, not one bit.

_I'll keep an eye on her for a little while longer,_ he decided. _Something about the way she was acting around that Riolu just didn't seem right. It almost looked like…like she had a crush on him!_

The Umbreon kept running as the sun fully set, coating the night sky in darkness lit only by the moon and stars.


	4. Chapter 3: Crushes and A Cold

Chapter 3: Crushes and A Cold

Lucar clambered down the ladder of Wigglytuff's Guild, a sick Snowflake following him. Carlos, Sandra, and Luv were just heading toward the ladder when Lucar appeared. Carlos smiled, about to tell his teammate about the new mission he had found…and stopped upon seeing Snowflake.

"Lucar, what's wrong?" Sandra asked, bounding after her teammate.

Lucar arrived at the bottom floor of the Guild and located an unused room. Snowflake collapsed on the bed of straw, a small cough escaping her. The blind Riolu turned to the Eevee.

"Snowflake's sick," he explained. "I think it was the cold water in Serenity River. Who knows how long she was in that sack."

"Snowflake's sick?" Luv repeated, entering the room with Carlos in tow.

"Yeah," Lucar nodded.

"What should we do?" Sandra asked, looking at Carlos nervously.

"Maybe Joy knows how to cure her," Carlos suggested. "We could ask."

"But the mission," Luv pointed out. "You said we're not allowed to shirk work."

"I'm sure Chatot will understand…right?" Sandra looked at Carlos again.

"You guys go ahead," Lucar said at last. "I'll stay here and help take care of Snowflake. I want to make sure nothing bad happens to her."

"Are you sure, Lucar?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah," the Riolu nodded. "You guys can handle one mission without me, right?"

"Sure," the Pikachu replied. "Just make sure you don't get sick too, okay?"

"I'll watch out," Lucar promised, smiling at his friend.

**/Carlos is a good friend. He's kind, trusting, and makes friends easily. I'm glad he trusted me enough to let me stay behind while we had a mission. Carlos, Sandra, and I are the three strongest of Team Legend. It's good to know that one of us can stay back and the other two can easily complete a mission. If I hadn't stayed back that day, I might've never fallen for Snowflake as hard as I did./**

"Come on, guys. We've got a mission to complete!" Carlos cried, leaving the room.

"Good luck, Lucar!" Sandra wished.

"Get better soon, Snowflake!" Luv called.

"Thanks," the Glaceon said, stifling another sneeze. _I haven't gotten sick since I was an Eevee. I forgot how much I hated it,_ she realized.

"You stay here. I'll be back in a minute." Lucar dashed out of the room, heading down the hall to ask Joy about how to cure a cold.

Snowflake sighed, rolling onto her side in her attempt to get more comfortable. It has been a long time since she got to sleep in a real bed. She was usually sleeping on grass or dirt or, worse, rock. Being a criminal's lackey wasn't a luxurious lifestyle, after all.

Her ear twitched as she registered the sound of approaching footsteps. When they reach the door to her room and stopped, she sighed and looked up. "So, Lucar, what did Joy…say?"

She wasn't looking at Lucar. It was a young Umbreon that was standing in the doorway. He was nervously shifting from paw to paw, looking around to see if he had been seen.

"Yusei? What are _you_ doing here?" Snowflake asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

_/Yusei is a total pest, in my opinion. If he's not getting in your way, he just sits in a corner, depressed. The only one who can cheer him up—or even bothers to—is Kevin. Thrax caught them both at the same time. Kevin is pretty useful but Yusei seems hopeless. Kevin drags him everywhere, hoping to show him the ropes. I doubt it'll ever work. The only valuable thing about him is the blue ring on his forehead. It's only there when he's sad, though. Other than that, he's pretty worthless./_

"Kevin said you were sick," the Umbreon, Yusei, said as he stepped into the room. "He sent me in here to see if you were okay."

"Yeah, I'm sick," Snowflake nodded. "Tell Kevin to tell Thrax that I won't be coming back for at least three days maximum. With all the coughing and sneezing, I won't be able to make it back to base without attracting _some kind_ of attention."

"Okay," Yusei nodded. "Also, Kevin wanted to know if yo—"

"Who are you?"

"WAAAAH!" Yusei jumped, whirling around to see Lucar standing there.

"I said 'who are you'." Lucar repeated. "I've never seen an Umbreon in the Guild aside from Lune and she's currently missing."

"I… I…." Yusei couldn't find the words.

"He's a friend of mine," Snowflake cut in. "He was looking for me after I got kidnapped. He was so relieved to discover that I was safe and sound here in Wigglytuff's Guild. Weren't you, _Yusuf_?"

"Yusuf?" Yusei repeated.

"Yes, Yusuf. That's _your name_." Snowflake gave him a glare that clearly told him to leave.

"Oh, yeah! Yusuf! That's me! Yeah!" Yusei backed out of the room. "Well, I'll be going! Bye, Snowflake! See you later! Get better soon! Bye!" He turned and ran down the hall, running as fast as he could out of the Guild.

"That was one weird guy," Lucar commented.

"Yusuf's very forgetful," Snowflake said. "As you saw, he tends to forget his own name half the time. He's hopeless, really."

"Okay…" Lucar sat down beside her. "Joy told me that the best cure for a cold is drinking lots of fluids and eating plenty of berries."

Snowflake smiled, blushing slightly. _At least he's even bothering to care for me,_ she thought.

Lucar picked up a bowl he had taken from the mess hall and sliced up the berries he had brought, dumping them into the bowl. Taking out a stick, he smashed the berries together until it was a pasty liquid. Sticking his finger in and tasting it, he quickly shook his head and dropped in another Oran Berry to smash up. Tasting it again, he smiled it satisfaction.

"This should be good enough," he said, holding the bowl out to Snowflake. "Try this. Joy said a berry mixture does best to cure colds."

Snowflake stared at the purple berry mix before hesitantly tasting some. Lucar held the bowl up for her so she didn't have to dunk her head in to have some. She licked her lips, surprised at how sweet it tasted.

"This is…good," she complimented.

"Good thing Joy knows her medicines," Lucar said. "She's good at this kind of stuff. Well, I guess she has to be since she has a kid." He suddenly became quiet. _Has one now…and had one before,_ he remembered.

"Lucar?" Snowflake looked at him strangely. "Lucar, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh… Sorry about that. I must've drifted off there." Lucar apologized.

Snowflake ate some more of the berry mix, drinking some of the juice in it too. A trickle of it ran down her chin and, before he even knew was he was doing, Lucar reached out a paw and wiped it off. Snowflake froze before relaxing again, realizing it was only Lucar.

"You know… You're really pretty," Lucar suddenly said.

"…Huh?" Snowflake blushed heavily, staring at him. _Isn't he blind? How would he know if I looked pretty or not?_

"Uh…" Lucar blushed, suddenly realizing what he had just said. _Why did I say that? I'm blind! I can't possibly know that! So what if her fur feels soft? That doesn't mean she's pretty!_ "I'm really, really sorry! I… I don't know what came over me, honest! I…" He looked away, embarrassed.

"N-no, it's okay," Snowflake reassured. "It's just that…nobody has said that about me. Not in a long time, anyway. I… Thanks."

"R-really?" Lucar looked back at her.

"Yeah," Snowflake nodded. _Idiot! Why did you tell him that? You're not in love! It's the cold! The cold, darn it!_

"I… I really meant it, you know," Lucar said.

Snowflake blushed again. _Oh, great! It's not the cold! I really do like him! This isn't good! He's the enemy! The enemy!_

The Glaceon looked away, trying to hide her blush.

_/Love has never been good to me. My parents and siblings loved me but rarely paid attention to me. My friends loved me but were never there when I really needed them. My ex-boyfriend loved me up until he found what he deemed a 'much prettier girlfriend' to be with. Thrax and my co-workers have no love for me, not that I would want it to begin with. Love has simply been a pain to me. Why would that change now?/_

"Snowflake, are you okay?" Lucar asked. "Your aura's panicked again."

"I… I'm fine, Lucar. Don't worry about me." Snowflake said. The blush still refused to leave. _Maybe… Maybe love will be kind this time. Even if he's the enemy, it's not like anybody else will know. Not Team Legend, not Thrax, no one. Just us. Besides…what Thrax doesn't know won't hurt him._

"Want some more?" Lucar asked, holding out the bowl of berry paste.

"Yes," Snowflake smiled.

_At Thrax's base of operations…_

Raptor looked from Yusei and Kevin to Thrax, wrought with nervousness. "So, Snowflake's not coming back?" he asked.

"At the moment, no," Kevin replied.

"She has a cold," Yusei explained. "She's afraid if she tries to get here, she'll attract attention because of all the noise she'll be making. She says it'll only be three days maximum."

"She's being cared for by the stupid Guild, right?" Thrax asked.

"That's right," Kevin nodded.

"Three days," Thrax tapped his hand-claw against his chin before frowning. "That's too long to stay in that Guild without being able to contact us, baby. She could mess up and get caught somehow. We can't make a good plan of attack without her and we can't afford to lose her, baby."

"How do we get her out, boss? I mean, it's Wigglytuff's Guild!" Raptor reminded. "That's not an easy place for criminals to sneak into!"

Kevin turned to look at Yusei. "Yusei, you still have the Guild clearance from when you ran away the day Thrax took us, right?"

"Y-yes," the smaller Umbreon nodded.

"Good," Thrax said. "Here's the plan,"

The four villains huddled close as Thrax explained his plan.

_At the entrance to Wigglytuff's Guild…_

The sun was beginning to set when Kevin reached the top of the steps that led to Wigglytuff's Guild. Stepping forward, he stopped just short of the grate. Thrax's orders echoed in his head.

"_Tonight, I want you to go in and sneak Snowflake out of the Guild. Go somewhere that nobody is bound to be and give her the plan of attack. If you're met with trouble at the Guild entrance, don't cause a ruckus, baby. If they don't let you in, don't bother. We'll think of something else then."_

Kevin sighed, lifting a paw. He had a similar appearance to Yusei and since Yusei's head ring wasn't blue the last time he was here, Kevin shouldn't have any trouble convincing the Guild sentries that he was Yusei.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered, stepping onto the grate.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" Diglett shouted from below the grate, making Kevin jump.

"Who's footprint? Who's footprint?" Loudred demanded from within the Guild.

"The footprint is Umbreon's! The footprint is Umbreon's!" Diglett replied.

"An Umbreon? Could it be…?" The ground shook as the gate opened. Loudred stepped out and gasped. "It IS! It's YUSEI, Diglett! He's BACK!"

Kevin yelped as Loudred hugged him and bit back the urge to fight. _Idiot! Remember, you're Yusei now! Not Kevin! Yusei!_

"Are you OKAY, Yusei? We haven't seen you in SO long!" Loudred cried.

"I'm fine, Loudred. Some things came up and I couldn't visit. Sorry. I missed you, too." Kevin said, acting as he assumed Yusei would in this situation. "Could you let go of me? I have a friend I have to see."

"Okay! You DEFINITELY may ENTER!" Loudred stepped aside, allowing Kevin into the Guild.

Kevin quickly worked his way to the bottom floor of Wigglytuff's Guild and followed Snowflake's scent to the room she was in. He peered in and frowned upon seeing Lucar with her. Both of them appeared to be asleep. He barely set a paw into the room when the Riolu suddenly sat up.

"Who are you?" Lucar asked. _It's another Umbreon,_ he noted. _This one's different from the other one, though. There's something…menacing about him._

Kevin cursed himself for thinking he could slip past a Riolu, even one that had its back turned. "I'm a friend of Snowflake's. I have something to tell her…alone."

"Snowflake's sick," Lucar said firmly. "It'll have to wait."

"What's going on?" Snowflake lifted her head, yawning.

"Snowflake, we need to talk. Now." Kevin growled.

"It's late. Can you come back in the morning?" Lucar asked, a sharp edge to his words. _Why won't this guy leave? Snowflake needs her rest!_

"No, I can't," Kevin replied. "Snowflake, let's go."

"Why should she?" Lucar demanded.

"It's important, a matter of life or death!" Kevin snapped, saying the first thing that came to his mind. _Take that, you stupid Riolu!_

"Lucar, it's okay. I'll go," Snowflake stood up, her legs shaking from the effort. "Let's go, _Kain_."

Kevin's ear twitched at the name. "Right," he said.

Snowflake looked at Lucar over her shoulder as she left the room. A blush crept over her cheeks. "Goodbye, Lucar," she said with honest kindness.

"Goodbye, Snowflake," Lucar said, smiling at her.

Kevin stopped in the hall outside of the room. _That tone… Snowflake really does love him! How could she? He's the enemy!_

Snowflake stepped into the hall and stopped beside Kevin. "Let's go, Kain. Where are we going?"

"The beach," Kevin replied.

The pair left Wigglytuff's Guild, Snowflake's heart racing.


	5. Chapter 4: Thrax's Successful Plan

Chapter 4: Thrax's Successful Plan

Stars were just appearing in the night sky above as Snowflake and Kevin arrived at the beach. Just as Kevin expected, the beach was empty except for them and a few sleepy Krabby that were heading back to their homes in the surrounding rocks. He led the ill Glaceon further down the beach before coming to a stop.

"This should do," he muttered, turning to face Snowflake.

"What do you want, Kevin? It's late and I'm sick, as I'm sure you noticed." Snowflake pointed out, her words sharp with annoyance.

"Sorry, but it's important. We came up with a new plan to kidnap that Eevee and Piplup from Team Legend." Kevin said.

"What is it?" Snowflake asked, suppressing a yawn. _Great Arceus, I'm tired. Why couldn't this wait until morning?_

"I'll be staying at the Guild with you tonight," the Umbreon explained. "When the right time comes, I'll let Thrax into the Guild to kidnap our targets. Then we'll leave. They won't even know what hit them."

"I won't be much help, Kevin," Snowflake commented. "I have a cold, remember? Unless you want our plan ruined by me sneezing up a storm."

"You don't have to help. Just go back to the Guild and leave the rest to us, okay?" Kevin suggested. "I'll have Yusei inform you of how it went tomorrow. Meet him in Treasure Town."

"Sure. Whatever," Snowflake nodded.

_/I hate it when my sleep is disturbed. I may sound like a typical girl but it's true. In my line of work, you don't get much sleep. You have to be on constant look-out for police and other dangers. Sleep is a rarity. I like to sleep when I can. Since no one knew I was a criminal, it was easy for me to get some sleep and not worry about being arrested. Sadly, that's not the case for well-known criminals like Thrax./_

The Glaceon turned and began to trek back to the Guild, fighting off tiredness so she wouldn't end up sleeping in the sand. She barely took five steps before Kevin suddenly leaped into her path, stopping her. She glared at him, exhaustion making her eyelids droop and make her look more comical than menacing.

"Now what?" she growled. "I'm tired, Kevin! Can't it wait?"

"I saw how you and that Riolu acted around each other. It's not just the cold making you act that way, like I originally suspected." Kevin said, eyes narrowing slightly. "You love him. And, if my suspicions about his behavior are right, he loves you too."

Snowflake froze. _He knows,_ she realized. _How did he figure it out so quickly?_

"I won't tell," Kevin continued, smirking. "It would just cause complications if I told, especially now. I'll keep quiet…for now. But if someone else brings it up, I will tell. Mark my words on that."

"…Thanks," Snowflake finally said.

"Don't bother," Kevin grumbled, walking away. "Come on. Lover Boy is probably waiting for you."

"His name's _Lucar_, not _Lover Boy_," Snowflake growled, fur bristling.

"Fine, _Lucar_ is probably waiting for you." Kevin said.

_/Kevin annoys me at times. He likes to push people's buttons on purpose to get a reaction. That's what makes him such a good criminal. He enrages his target, making it an easy capture or an easy kill. Yes, Kevin has killed before. All of us except for Yusei and the black Pikachu have killed before, even me. I don't like to kill, though. I leave that the others. Killing isn't my thing. I don't like the idea of having the blood of some poor Pokemon staining my paws for the rest of my life./_

The pair walked back to the Guild in silence. Once they reached the grate, Kevin stayed behind the gate while Snowflake headed downstairs. She wanted to get back to what might be the first person to actually care for her health.

As Kevin had guessed, Lucar was indeed waiting for her in their room. "What was that 'life-or-death situation' that your friend talked about?" he asked.

"It wasn't really a life-or-death situation," Snowflake admitted, curling up in her bed. She struggled briefly to remember the name she had called Kevin by. "…Kain likes to exaggerate sometimes. He doesn't like me being with other guys."

"What? Is he your brother or something?" Lucar joked.

"Something like a brother," Snowflake chuckled. Inside, however, she was gagging. _Brother? As if! I'd hate to be related to him!_

"You should get some sleep, Snowflake," Lucar commented, reaching out a paw to touch her forehead. "You've still got a temperature."

"Yeah," Snowflake nodded, yawning. "Good night, Lucar."

"Good night, Snowflake," Lucar said, curling up in his bed nearby the Glaceon's.

In no time, the pair fell fast asleep together.

**/I was still uncertain about my feelings for Snowflake. I knew I felt something but I didn't really know what it was. Love isn't something I'm an expert in, no matter how much I act like I am. My only knowledge of love is from my father and from the blooming relationship between Carlos and Sandra. I was new to it. Luckily for me, the one I'd end up falling in love with knew a thing or two about love./**

_Later that night…_

"Kevin! Kevin! Wake up!"

"Huh?" Kevin snapped awake, having fallen asleep not long after returning to the Guild. "Wha…?"

"Open the gate, Kevin,"

Kevin looked up and yelped, leaping backward in shock. Thrax and Raptor were on the other side of the gate. He couldn't see Yusei or the black Pikachu anywhere. Spotting the lever nearby, he pushed it down and watched the gate go up.

"Sorry," the Umbreon apologized. "I fell asleep."

"That was obvious enough, baby," Thrax grumbled, displeased that he had to wait for Kevin to wake up. He pulled out a sack. "Let's grab our targets and get out."

"Right, boss!" Raptor cried, only to cower in fear as the Toxicroak glared at him.

"Let's grab our targets _quietly_ and get out _quietly_," Thrax growled. "Make any noise and you're roast bird."

"Right, boss," Raptor squeaked, keeping his voice down as much as possible.

Thrax turned to face Kevin. "Lead the way," he ordered.

"Where are Yusei and the black Pikachu?" Kevin asked.

"Don't worry about them, baby. They're back at base, waiting." Thrax replied. "Now, _lead the way_."

Kevin nodded, a shiver of fear running down his spine. He recognized that venom-filled voice. It always promised pain if Thrax didn't get what he wanted right away. "This way," he said, leading the way down the ladder.

_/Thrax can be impatient, especially if he's somewhere like in the Guild. Places like that have a higher chance of being supervised by the police. Better to get in, grab what you want, and get out…fast! With everything we've done, it's no surprise that even Thrax is testy breaking into Wigglytuff's Guild. It's a tough place headed by a tough Pokemon. I still wonder who would win in a fight between Thrax and Guildmaster Wigglytuff. It's a fight I'd rather not imagine./_

Kevin was quick to lead Thrax and Raptor to the second floor. He was even faster in showing them Team Legend's room, casting a nervous look at the room next door that housed Lucar and Snowflake. The Umbreon watched as Thrax snuck into the room with an empty sack and came back out with a full one.

"Let's go," Thrax muttered, looking around for any sign that they may have been seen.

Kevin peered into Team Legend's room to see a Pikachu, a Raichu, and a baby Minun. The Eevee and the Piplup were missing. He turned and dashed after Thrax and Raptor. Their mission was completed. Now to get away from the Guild before anyone noticed the two missing Pokemon.

Once they were outside, Kevin sighed in relief. They hadn't woken anybody up. He pushed the lever and dove under the gate as it started to come down.

"Mission success!" the Umbreon cried.

Suddenly, the gate let out a loud screech. The criminals jumped, fearful that somebody had heard it. Nobody within the Guild stirred. The gate closed quietly.

"Whew! That was close! Right, boss?" Raptor looked at Thrax.

"Too close, baby," Thrax agreed. "Let's get out of he—"

"Mmmph?"

"What was that?" Raptor yelped.

"I don't know," Thrax looked around, claw glowing menacingly.

"I think I know," Kevin suddenly said, looking at the bag.

Raptor and Thrax both looked at the bag in time to hear another noise. "Mmmph? Mmmph mmmph!"

"Oh no," Thrax groaned.

_Inside of the sack…_

Sandra winced, her ears aching as she heard a loud screech. _What's going on?_ She opened her eyes and sat up, yawning. "Carlos, what's happening?"

She looked around and gasped. Carlos wasn't there. Nobody was there. Not Team Legend, not the Guild members, nobody! She was alone in some brown…thing!

"Hey! Where am I? Let me out!" she cried. "Help!"

"Do you have to be so loud?" a voice from below Sandra asked. "And get off of me! You're heavy, Sandra!"

"Luv, we're trapped!" Sandra cried.

"Huh?" The Piplup sat up and looked around. "What? Oh no!" She started madly pecking at the brown cloth walls around them.

"HELP!" both girls screamed.

_In front of Wigglytuff's Guild…_

"Oh no!" Raptor yelped. "What do we do, boss?"

"Shut up!" Thrax snarled at both Raptor and the sack. He shook the sack angrily.

"Hey! What's going on up there?" a voice from below them called. "Don't you know the Guild is closed?"

"Uh-oh," Kevin said, backing away from the grate.

"Hey, wait a sec! This footprint is a Toxicroak!" the voice, obviously Diglett the sentry, realized. "Could this b—"

"HELP!" Sandra and Luv screamed from within the sack.

"Great Arceus, it is!" Diglett cried. "Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

"Darn it! Let's move, babies!" Thrax yelled.

Kevin jumped onto Raptor's back while the Staraptor wrapped his talons around Thrax's shoulders, pumping his wings to lift them into the air. They managed to take off before some of the Guild members appeared. Thrax smirked upon seeing that Team Legend wasn't out yet.

"Go this way," Thrax ordered, pointing in the direction he wanted.

"But boss, that's not the way back to base!" Kevin pointed out.

"That's the point, baby," Thrax smirked. "We'll throw them off if we go this way."

"What a great idea, boss!" Raptor cried.

The trio of villains headed in the opposite direction of their base, their plan a temporary success.

_Inside of Wigglytuff's Guild…_

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

"Huh?" Carlos blinked, waking up. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Joy said, sitting up. "Sandra, what's goi—Sandra? Where are you?"

"Huh?" The Pikachu bolted upright and looked around the room. "Sandra! Luv!"

"Luv's gone too?" Joy yelped, doing a double-check. "My goodness, where are they?"

Carlos dashed out of Team Legend's room, skidding to a stop in front of Lucar and Snowflake's room. "Lucar, get up!" he cried. "Sandra and Luv are gone!"

"What?" The blind Riolu jumped up from bed. "You're kidding!"

"What's going on?" Snowflake asked, tiredly sitting up. _Can't a girl get some sleep here?_

Sunflora was running past their room when Carlos stopped her. "What's with the intruder alert?" he asked.

"Oh my gosh! You won't believe it!" Sunflora explained. "Diglett saw Thrax standing on the grate outside! And then he heard Sandra and Luv scream! Eek!"

"Thrax?" Carlos and Lucar both cried.

"Everyone's outside right now! Thrax is long gone and he took Sandra and Luv with him! Eek!" Sunflora dashed away.

"We've got to go after him!" Carlos declared.

"Right!" Lucar turned to Joy, who had followed them into the hall. "Look after Snowflake for me, okay?"

"Okay," the Raichu nodded. "You guys get Sandra and Luv back!"

"We will!" the pair cried.

Carlos and Lucar quickly ran out of the Guild, intent on chasing Thrax down and saving their captured teammates. Lucar was quick to lock on to Thrax's aura and led the way.

Back in the Guild, Joy carried the sleeping Michael into Snowflake's room. "Are you feeling okay, dear? Maybe you should get some more sleep." She said gently.

"What's going on?" Snowflake asked.

"Thrax broke in and kidnapped two of our friends, Sandra and Luv. It's a good thing he didn't find you too, dear." Joy commented.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," the Glaceon nodded. She struggled to her paws and looked out of the room entrance. She felt a strange feeling rise up in her heart.

_/There are lots of emotions criminals have. Joy at a completed burglary, anger at a failed burglary, jealousy at another criminal, maybe even sadness when stolen goods are stolen back from said criminal. There are also lots of emotions criminals tend to lock away. Love is one of them. The other is so dangerous that it has the potential to completely destroy a criminal. That emotion…is guilt. How ironic. Before I came to Treasure Town, I was a hardened criminal who thought I would never experience either of those emotions. Look at me now. Funny, isn't it?/_

Snowflake looked away, blinking back what she realized was tears. _What have I done?_


	6. Chapter 5: Rescued?

Again, blame YuseiDarkUmbreon for this finally being updated. He pestered me to death last night on Skype (again) until I got this done. Go congratulate him for getting my sorry butt in gear.

**DISCLAIMER:** Kevin belongs to YuseiDarkUmbreon. Pokemon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri and Nintendo.

**CLAIMER:** I own everything else here.

Also, remember that **/this/** talk is Lucar narrating. Much like what Sandra does in EoF.

Enjoy this despite the three year delay! :3

Chapter 5: Rescued…?

Raptor panted for breath. "How much further?" he gasped. "My wings hurt! And I'm tired! Can we land yet?"

"I don't see those two Exploration Team members anywhere," Thrax muttered, looking around. "Fine, you can land. But get ready to fly again soon, baby. This isn't over until we're back at the base."

"Okay," Raptor nodded tiredly, pulling in for a landing.

The trio landed in a clearing in a forest. A single look at the trees, overflowing with blue berries, proved where they were. They had landed in Oran Forest.

"How ironic," Thrax chuckled. "This is the same place we first met those brats, baby."

"Really?" Kevin looked around. "So this is where you found the black Pikachu?"

"Correct, baby," Thrax nodded. "Now then, let's see how our newest prizes are."

Thrax turned around and walked toward Raptor. The Staraptor quickly scrambled away, inching closer to Kevin. Kevin glared at him briefly before looking at the sack that Thrax was currently picking up. The Umbreon tensed, ready to pounce if either of their prisoners attempted to escape.

Thrax raised a glowing hand-claw to the knot near the top of the sack. Smoke curled up from the heavy brown fabric as the tip of his claw touched it, slowly burning through it with Poison Claw. A twisted grin appeared on the Toxicroak's face as he sliced through the knot with a single clean swipe.

"Well, hello there, ba—" Thrax started to say, only to be interrupted by Raptor's cry of alarm. "What the…?"

"Give Sandra and Luv back, Thrax! Right now!" a voice shouted.

"Ugh…" Thrax dropped the sack, keeping the opening closed with his foot. He looked at the intruders. "I thought we already lost you, baby."

"I guess you didn't," Carlos said, frowning.

"Nope," Lucar growled, stepping out to stand beside his leader.

"So, there are two of you? How funny!" Thrax laughed. "Recognize our surroundings, baby?"

"Yeah," Carlos nodded. "It's Oran Forest. So?"

"I beat you here once, baby," Thrax said with a smirk. "I'll beat you here again."

"We're not the same as back then, Thrax. We're stronger now." Lucar corrected.

"And so am I," Thrax pointed out. "You kids can't possibly match my strength."

"Just watch us!" Carlos yelled, charging.

"Kevin, guard the sack! We'll deal with the brats!" Thrax ordered.

"Understood!" the Umbreon barked.

Kevin quickly took Thrax's place standing on the sack's opening. He was miffed at missing out on fighting Team Legend, even if it was only two members, but Thrax's orders were absolute. There was no time to argue, anyway, only time to act.

Thrax lunged at Carlos, claw aglow, but the Pikachu jumped over him. Carlos slammed into the larger Pokemon from behind with Quick Attack, electricity jumping from his cheeks. Thrax suddenly whipped around, throwing the Pikachu aside with a powerful backhand. Carlos yelped as he rolled along the bumpy ground, coming to a stop near the base of a tree. He lay there, gasping for breath.

"Carlos!" Lucar cried.

"Wing Attack!" Raptor yelled, attacking while the Riolu's back was turned.

"AAAH!" Lucar crashed into a tree and fell to the ground, bringing chips of bark down with him.

Thrax smirked as he approached where Carlos lay. "I warned you, baby. You guys, no matter how strong you get, can't defeat me." Thrax reminded.

"That doesn't mean…we won't…try…" Carlos struggled to say.

"The time for trying, kid, is over," Thrax replied with a frown. He raised his claw. "Goodbye, ba—"

Thrax was interrupted when something wet hit his arm. The Toxicroak drew back, confused. More drops of water began to hit him. Thrax suddenly looked up, registering the storm clouds gathering overhead. It was beginning to rain.

"Boss, shouldn't we get the Eevee and the Piplup out of here?" Raptor squeaked. "Remember what Snowflake said? About the sack and water?"

Thrax remembered that conversation all-too-well.

"_Don't you know that, if thoroughly wet, heavy fabrics collapse in on themselves?" Snowflake asked. "The sack ended up being completely soaked, probably by your fighting, and started to sink on me. If that Exploration Team's Riolu hadn't freed me, I'd probably be dead."_

Thrax frowned. "Kevin, get them back to the base. Raptor and I will finish these two off."

"Got it," Kevin nodded.

The Umbreon lifted his forepaws off of the sack and reached down to pick it up in his jaws. Before he could realize what was happening, the sack suddenly flew open and dozens of bubbles began to pummel his body. Kevin cried out in pain, leaping away from the sudden onslaught.

"Boss! The sack!" Raptor warned.

The warning came too late, though. Luv and Sandra dashed out of the sack, ran past their captors, and slid to a stop beside their teammates. Carlos and Lucar quickly placed themselves between their newly-freed teammates and Thrax.

"I told you to get them out of here!" Thrax yelled, glaring at Kevin.

"I'm sorry! I didn't expect them to attack so suddenly!" the Umbreon yelped.

"Are you guys okay?" Carlos asked, looking at Sandra and Luv worriedly.

"We're okay," Luv reassured.

"Where are we?" Sandra asked.

"Oran Forest," Lucar replied.

"Oran Forest?" Sandra looked around, suddenly nervous. _This is where we first met Thrax,_ she remembered.

"Carlos, we've got Sandra and Luv. Let's go," Lucar advised. "We may have gotten stronger, but we're not strong enough to beat them. Not yet, anyway."

"Yeah," the Pikachu reluctantly agreed.

Carlos reached into the Treasure Bag, digging around for an Escape Orb. Thrax smirked, only for it to fade when he realized what was going to happen. If Team Legend warped back to Treasure Town now, they'd never have this chance again.

"What are you waiting for, babies?!" Thrax demanded, whirling around to glare at Raptor and Kevin. "Get them before they escape!"

The pair jumped at the sudden order, fright forcing them to obey. Raptor shot forward, claws outstretched and glinting with malice as he charged on Carlos. Kevin lunged, body glowing brightly as he struck out against Lucar.

Carlos cried out, ducking as those deadly talons tore above his head. A few strands of yellow fur fluttered to the ground. Cheeks sparking, the Pikachu whipped around and unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt. Raptor twisted away, disappearing above the treetops to avoid the move.

Lucar yelped as he was crashed into, the power of Giga Impact throwing him quite a distance backward. As Kevin was recovering, though, the ground shook wildly and flung him into the mud. The Umbreon lifted his head, only to receive a face full of bubbles. An enraged Luv glared at him.

"You guys think we're _that_ easy to kidnap? You're real morons, you know!" the Piplup declared, shooting more bubbles at him.

Kevin pulled back, dodging and rolling to the side. He glared at her, eyes glowing violet. Luv gave a scream, falling to the ground.

"Luv!" Sandra cried out, horrified.

"Psychic's quite a pain, isn't it?" Kevin taunted, straightening. "I suggest you both give up right n—GAAAH!"

Rocks dropped down on him from above, crushing the Umbreon flat. Lucar was back on his feet, blood oozing from a cut on his forehead. His eyes didn't need to be open to display how angry he was.

"Stay away from our teammates!" Lucar barked.

**/It shouldn't have been this difficult of a fight. Yeah, Thrax had us severely out-leveled…but we had numbers. If we could just escape, Thrax would be forced to give up…for the moment. He'd no doubt be back. Thrax wasn't one to surrender on his targets so easily. This very fight was proof of that. He wanted Sandra and Luv…and he wasn't letting us stop him from getting either of them!/**

"What's the matter with you two? They're just a couple of weakling kids!" Thrax shouted, growing annoyed. "Do I need to do this myself, babies? Useless, the _both_ of you!"

"We can do this! Just watch, boss!" Raptor cried fearfully. "We'll get those two back for you!"

"We won't fail you," Kevin guaranteed, dragging himself out from under the rocks. "You will have what you desire…no matter the cost. Just give us a chance to make a good strike."

"Then make it _fast_, babies!" Thrax hissed, stepping back beneath a tree to shelter himself from the driving rain.

"Carlos, get an Escape Orb ready! We can't take much more of this!" Sandra pleaded.

"Got it!" Carlos nodded, digging through his bag.

"No you don't! You're not going anywhere!" Kevin snarled, lunging.

"Just try and stop us!" Lucar countered, lunging with a Force Palm at the ready.

"_Gladly_, puppy!" Raptor shrieked.

Lucar gave a pained cry as he was hit from above, the massive bird dive-bombing him. Driving the Riolu into the mud, the Staraptor remained perched on his back to keep him from retaliating. The bird hunched over, allowing Kevin to leap over him and continue his charge toward the remaining three members of Team Legend.

"I said STOP!" Kevin howled, leaping up into the air with fangs bared.

"And I say SIT!" Luv cried, unleashing a barrage of bubbles upon the leaping Dark-type.

The bubbles bounced off of a round blue barrier. Kevin grinned. "Protect is so very useful," he chuckled. "Especially when I do _this_! Dark Pul—"

A sphere of dark, crackling energy appeared in the corner of Kevin's right eye. He barely noticed it. What shocked him was how close it was. How did it get so close so fast? And his Protect…!

The sphere broke through the barrier, smashing into the side of the Umbreon's face. Kevin yelped, crashing hard into the muddy ground and skidding quite a ways. A light splash nearby made him force his eyes open. He was shocked to see the Eevee had made the noise.

_That attack! Did she…?_ Kevin wondered.

Sandra glared at him coldly. "Shadow Ball," she said. "Packs quite a punch, doesn't it?" She smirked tauntingly at him.

"You little…" Kevin hissed, struggling to get up.

"I've got one, guys!" Carlos suddenly cried.

All eyes landed on Carlos, who yanked an Escape Orb from the depths of his Treasure Bag. Kevin and Raptor froze, petrified. They could practically _feel_ the killing aura coming from their boss. Thrax didn't even need to speak. The pair was already launching their next round of attacks, intent on recapturing their hostages immediately.

Raptor instantly abandoned Lucar, claws extended as he aimed for the orb. If he could break it…

The Staraptor gave a terrified squawk as rocks dropped down on him, pinning him to the ground. Lucar got to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth.

"You guys won't win," he said.

"We don't need to!" Kevin barked, shooting in from behind Carlos. "We just need to keep these two from escaping!"

"Carlos, the orb! Activate it!" Luv shouted, shooting bubbles desperately at the oncoming Umbreon.

"Yeah!" the Pikachu nodded, raising the orb into the air.

**/I really thought we were safe. We had the Escape Orb, we had Sandra and Luv… There was no way to stop us from fleeing. Raptor was trapped, Thrax was too far away, and this Umbreon would never make it past Luv's attacks. So why?/**

Sandra tossed in a Shadow Ball among Luv's bubbles, causing an explosion. Carlos brought the orb down, about to smash it to unleash its effects. Lucar bounded backward, rejoining Carlos. They were ready to go.

…Then it went wrong…

"CARLOS!"

"Sandra!" Carlos cried, whipping around.

Kevin burst through the smoke, ramming right into Luv. The Piplup was thrown back, crashing right into Lucar. Carlos yelped as the Riolu fell back into him, making him slip in the mud. The Escape Orb tumbled from his paws, falling toward the ground.

That wasn't the worst part, though.

Kevin suddenly whirled around, jaws snapping shut on Sandra's scruff as the Eevee tried to flee. The Umbreon bounded past the fallen trio. Sandra gave a cry of terror, brown eyes wide and full of tears.

"SANDRA!" Carlos shouted, trying to follow after her.

The world suddenly twisted. Carlos felt like he was being yanked backward. He realized in horror that it was the Escape Orb. Having been broken, it automatically activated. It was sending Team Legend back to Treasure Town..._without_ Sandra.

Everything was engulfed in a burst of white light. Then they were falling, crashing into a pile safely within the confines of Wigglytuff's Guild. There was shouting from guild members and Sheriff Magnezone's officers.

"Oh my goodness! Are you okay? What happened?" Chatot squawked, flapping in a panic nearby.

"Luv! Oh my gosh! Hooray! You're saved!" Sunflora cried, hugging the Piplup.

"Sandra!" Luv wailed, pulling away from the Grass-type to look at Carlos. "What happened? Where's Sandra?"

"She isn't with you?!" Chatot squawked, beak dropping open with shock.

"The Escape Orb activated by accident," Lucar whispered, staring at his paws. "Sandra was…out of range of it. She wasn't brought back with us."

"Then you mean she's…!" Luv gasped, flippers over her beak. Tears welled in her blue eyes. "No… No! No, no, no!"

"Thrax still has her…" Carlos said softly, unable to believe it. "We couldn't…save Sandra…"

**/How could it have all gone so wrong so fast?/**


End file.
